


Pyro

by AnselaJonla



Series: Prompt fills [49]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Reddit Prompt, r/writingprompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:55:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24200185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnselaJonla/pseuds/AnselaJonla
Summary: A fic written for a prompt on the r/WritingPrompts subreddit:[SP] Light me Up - He built something with the sole intent of lighting it on fire after the building was done.
Series: Prompt fills [49]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1097823
Kudos: 1





	Pyro

It was something small at first, just a little pyramid of sticks with some dry grass in the middle. It flickered and crackled in the dark, and he watched in fascination as the flames licked at the dark.

The next few fires were equally simple, the constructions of a child who just wanted to watch the flames leap into the night. As he grew, the pyramids got bigger, stronger, more elaborate. Sticks were woven together for structure, chambers were built inside, with pharaohs and treasure made of grass and paper to ensure the pyramids burned.

He continued to grow, to learn. School chemistry lessons taught him how to make flames of different colours, his dad's credit card allowed him to put this knowledge into practice. He started to experiment with more shapes, his pyramids becoming skyscrapers, office buildings, schools, and houses. Brightly coloured flames danced in the twilit garden whenever he finished a sculpture, making him dance in delight as his work turned to ash.

By the time he left school, he was famous on the internet. Millions tuned into watch him erect his latest works, and even more watched them burn. He bought an empty piece of land, solely to fulfil his desire, his _need_ to burn things. People started coming to watch. At first just the local kids, fascinated with the flames as children tend to be, but soon his online fans began to come as well. His girlfriend, later his fiancee and then his wife, suggested that he take advantage of his popularity, that he start charging these bystanders for the show, but he refused.

Art, he claimed, should be free.

That's not to say that he never made any money from his hobby. His fiery art was in demand all over the country. Local councils, theme park owners, and festival organisers all clamoured for him to make an incendiary centrepiece for their shows. A pirate ship here, a dragon there, he accepted those requests that intrigued him, that challenged his skills. And never, ever did he fail to deliver on his promises. Those who hired him were never disappointed by what they received.

Eventually he grew old. His hands shook. His joints ached. His vision betrayed him. His voice trembled when he spoke. And still he built, a magnificent building, a scale replica of the Taj Mahal. Every piece of wood on the outside was specially selected, white and golden-yellow replicating the colours of the real monument.

When the day came that it was finished, the day it was to be burned, he was nowhere to be seen on the live stream. With no one in sight, the wooden mausoleum slowly caught alight, flames consuming it from the base upwards. While millions watched, the sculpture burned.

And its creator burned with it.


End file.
